Spouting off about beer in the Pacific Northwest (and wherever else we're drinking)

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Autumn Brew Review Review...um...

Extreme shame has prevented me from posting my pointless blather about how much fun I had at the Autumn Brew Review, or how much beer I drank, or where I peed, or the stupid things I said, or...well, you get the point. I was "one of those people" this year. Yeah, "one of those people" that you never see at beer events and you certainly don't know "one of those people" or at least you'd never admit it. I was "one of those people" that you don't see, but whom you certainly hear about. You know what I mean...when the loud, peaceful murmur of the pickled crowd is disrupted by the distinctive *skish* of a sampling glass being negligently shattered. Yeah, I broke my glass.

It wasn't as though I was stumbling through the crowd fighting for a special release or arrogantly waving my glass while telling some story about how the beer I tasted was sooo much better than the swill you drank or even awkwardly flirting with some beer wench. No, I was quietly off on the edge of the tasting grounds rinsing my glass out with water and getting a sip. I'll bet I dropped the damn thing from about a foot off the ground. Twelving f'ing inches and the sumbitch shatters. One goddamn foot and the sound was loud enough to carry farther than I can throw a beer can. Christ, what a loser. I should have gone down in more style.

And you'd think one would get a little sympathy for one's loss. Nope. I think 3/4 of the pourers I visited after that had some smart-ass comment to make (as they had every right to do) about my little plastic cup replacement. And then to top off the shame of the afternoon, I got mocked and ridiculed by some folks representing a brew-pub that shall remain nameless for wearing a Surly hat. THAT'S why I almost never fly anyone's colors at beer events. I don't want assumptions about my loyalty to be made.

All in all I had a great time! Losing a little pride isn't so bad when it happens among friends and all around good drunks.